General
African Competition Authorities Respond to COVID-19 Crisis
By Lerisha Naidu and Thato Mkhize
The substantial increase in confirmed COVID-19 cases in Africa has led to innumerable complaints of anti-competitive conduct from customers and consumers across the continent, who have expressed concerns over sudden price hikes of healthcare and hygiene products as well as identified essential products. This has prompted rapid responses from African competition authorities.
In South Africa, competition and consumer protection authorities are collaborating in efforts to examining complaints from customers and consumers implicating companies for excessive and/or exploitative pricing of essential products.
Such essential products include facemasks, toilet paper and hand sanitisers. In addition, South Africa’s Department of Trade, Industry and Competition has introduced new regulations, which together with existing competition regulations on excessive pricing, deal with pricing and supply matters during the national disaster.
These regulations do not prevent market players from implementing necessary price adjustments, their objective being to prevent unjustified price hikes and facilitate the collaboration of essential service providers in a regulated manner.
Further, essential service providers – the private healthcare sector, hotel industry, banking sector and retail property sector – have been granted block exemptions from certain provisions of the South African Competition Act, thereby enabling them to coordinate resources and infrastructure for the benefit of consumers during the period of the national disaster.
The country has also entered a 21-day lockdown period, which began on Thursday, 26 March 2020 and is due to end on 16 April 2020. During this period, all non-essential services providers are required to allow employees to operate from their homes in order to limit non-essential human interaction.
The lockdown has affected the operations of both the Competition Commission (Commission) and Competition Tribunal (Tribunal), requiring that both refocus their resources on complaints filed in relation to COVID-19 and other urgent matters over the 21 days.
The scaling down of operations by the competition authorities has proved to be necessary, not only to comply with the resolution of the National Coronavirus Command Council, but also to deal with the increase in COVID-19 complaints submitted to the Commission – 559 complaints have been received to-date.
In Namibia, the Namibian Competition Commission (NaCC) concluded a market analysis, which revealed that the price of immune boosters, hand sanitisers and 3ply facemasks have substantially increased due to growing demand for these essential products.
In response to this, the NaCC formed a dedicated task team under its Enforcement, Exemptions & Cartels Division, which will continue to investigate and prioritise price exploitation complaints in relation to essential healthcare and hygiene during the COVID-19 crisis.
The NaCC is cognisant of the fact that it is necessary for certain essential service providers to collaborate during this period; therefore, we can expect engagements between the NaCC and the Namibian government, with the aim of introducing block exemptions similar to those introduced in South Africa.
Mauritius has also experienced a surge in the pricing of essential goods in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In addition, certain suppliers of essential goods in Mauritius have come under the spotlight of the authority, suspected of creating artificial shortages of supplies.
In response, the Mauritian government has announced that its Competition Commission will be tasked with monitoring the market for unjustified price escalations of essential goods and will prosecute any businesses found to be engaging in such restricted trade practices during this period.
The rest of Southern Africa’s competition authorities are yet to issue cautionary measures or publish competition regulations in response of the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on their markets.
Although the number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the East African countries combined are significantly less than those reported in South Africa, competition authorities in Kenya, Tanzania, Malawi and Zambia have adopted a proactive approach to guarding against unjustified price hikes and the excessive pricing of essential goods during this period.
The Competition Authority of Kenya (CAK) has published a cautionary note warning manufacturers and retailers that are implicated in price fixing or any sort of price manipulation behaviour that they will be subject to an administrative penalty of up to 10% of turnover.
Further, the CAK has ordered the removal of exclusivity clauses in agreements between manufactures and distributors of maize flour, wheat flour, edible oils, rice, sanitizers and toilet papers, effective 26 March 2020.
Exclusive distribution agreements between market players interfere with the allocation of favourable prices in relation to essential goods. The CAK highlighted that negative effects of such agreements may be further exacerbated during pandemics such as COVID-19.
In addition, distributors who also operate in the downstream retail market have been requested to provide these essential goods to other retailers on non-discriminatory terms.
The Competition and Fair Trading Commission (CFTC) of Malawi concluded an investigation on 23 March 2020, which revealed that 11 pharmacies in Lilongwe and Blantyre were excessively pricing hand sanitisers, facemasks and gloves in response to the COVID-19 outbreak in Malawi. The CFTC has also published a cautionary note warning against excessive pricing during this period.
The Competition and Consumer Protection Commission of Zambia’s cautionary note was directed at companies and individuals that are excessively pricing hygiene products in response to the demand during the COVID-19 crisis.
The Fair Competition Commission in Tanzania has responded to the Ministry of Industry and Trade’s request to monitor and report on whether market players are maintaining reasonable prices on essential items such as sterilisers, masks and disinfectant hand wash during the COVID-19 pandemic.
From a West African perspective, Nigeria announced a 14-day lockdown of its two major cities, Lagos and Abuja, effective Monday, 30 March 2020 at 11pm.
Accordingly, the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (FCCPC) announced that it will be scaling down on its operations and available resources will be redirected to focus on COVID-19-related complaints and issues.
The FCCPC similarly published a cautionary notice to suppliers, retailers and online shopping platforms, warning them against irregularly increasing prices of essential hygiene products in response to increased demand caused by the COVID-19 epidemic.
The FCCPC has been active in the enforcement of competition laws amid the COVID-19 crisis. Currently, it has referred four supermarkets and their pharmacy distributors to court for conspiring to hike prices and selling essential products at unfair prices during the pandemic.
Apart from communication indicating the scaling down of operations by competition agencies in Morocco, Tunisia and Egypt, no other preventative measures in response to COVID-19 have been communicated by competition authorities in North Africa.
Numerous competition authorities in Africa are aware of the effects of unjustified price hikes and excessive pricing on already vulnerable economies.
They have responded by establishing specialised investigation teams, refocusing existing resources to COVID-19 specific complaints and introducing new competition regulations – as is the case in South Africa.
African competition authorities have further noted that collaboration between themselves and consumer protection authorities, as well as between competing essential service providers, is essential in order to enable countries to adequately respond to the COVID-19 crisis. Unprecedented times appear to have called for unprecedented measures for competition authorities across Africa.
Lerisha Naidu is a Partner at Sphesihle Nxumalo and Associate at Baker McKenzie Johannesburg, while Thato Mkhize is a Candidate Attorney, Competition and Antitrust Practice at Baker McKenzie Johannesburg
By Adedapo Adesanya
Preparing a pot of Nigeria’s most valued delicacy, jollof rice, costs as much as N29,578 in June 2026 compared to N25,798 in July 2025, an increase of 14.6 per cent, according to a new survey by SBM Intelligence.
The data and research firm, in its Jollof Index Q2 2026 report, titled Rebasing, Redefining, and the Weather’s Toll on the Pot, stated that it rebased the index in the July edition to a higher standard as of July 2025 and introduced re-standardised ingredient measures.
According to the report, the index now more accurately captures how households navigate the current affordability crisis.
The study collected monthly price data on 12 key ingredients: rice, vegetable oil, turkey or chicken, beef, tomatoes, pepper, onions, tinned tomatoes, salt, curry, thyme, and seasoning cubes from 13 markets across Nigeria’s six geopolitical zones.
The markets include Nyanya and Wuse II (North Central), Bauchi (North East), Kano (North West), Awka and Onitsha (South East), Port Harcourt, Calabar Municipal, and Bayside Mbakpa (South South), and Bodija, Dugbe, Trade Fair, and Balogun (South West).
The report stated that the upward trajectory in the cost of jollof rice since July 2025 was non-linear, with prices dipping in September and October 2025 before accelerating from November through the first half of 2026.
It revealed that the index has risen from N4,087 in July 2016 to N29,578 in June 2026, a staggering 624 per cent increase over 10 years.
“The data confirms that food inflation is not a cyclical phenomenon but a structural crisis, embedded in Nigeria’s failure to secure supply chains, stabilise its currency, invest in agricultural resilience, and now adapt to a changing climate,” the SBM survey stated.
Throughout the second quarter of 2026, Nigeria’s agricultural supply chain has been gripped by a compounding crisis driven by extreme weather patterns and structural logistical failures, the report stated.
From April through June, reports from urban markets across the country- Port Harcourt, Calabar, Onitsha, Lagos, Ibadan, Bauchi, Kano, and Abuja- revealed a consistent pattern of food scarcity and sharp price volatility.
Meanwhile, the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) said Nigeria’s food inflation stood at 17.52 per cent on a year-on-year basis in June.
“The crisis has been most acute for perishable crops, particularly tomatoes and peppers, but its reach has extended to staples such as yams, plantains, garri, and even grains.
“Across every region, the story is the same: heavy rains have flooded roads, damaged farmland, delayed harvests, and driven up transport costs. Consumers are adapting, but their options are narrowing,” the report stated.
According to the report, consumers across the country are responding in similar ways: buying in smaller quantities, substituting fresh produce with dried or processed alternatives, and reducing portions.
“But these are coping strategies, not solutions,” the report added.
Geographically, the gap between Nigeria’s cheapest and most expensive markets has widened to N14,700.
According to the SBM report, Calabar Municipal is the most expensive market to cook a pot of jollof rice at N34,750, while Awka is the cheapest at N22,050.
“The most expensive markets are either in the South-South (where protein costs and import restrictions have surged) or in Lagos (the import gateway).
“The cheapest markets are in the South-east, which has benefited from local farming and shorter supply chains,” the report stated.
In North-central, ingredient prices at Abuja’s two markets, Nyanya and Wuse II, rose significantly.
Over the year to June 2026, Nyanya rose from N24,300 to N25,450, a modest 4.7 per cent increase, while Wuse II climbed from N28,150 to N29,200, a 3.7 per cent increase.
The report stated that Abuja’s food economy is fundamentally distorted by its dependence on distant supply corridors.
“Every grain of rice, every tomato, every onion must travel from Benue, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Niger, or beyond.
“When diesel prices surge, when insecurity blocks roads, when checkpoints multiply, or when heavy rains flood roads, Abuja’s markets feel it first and most acutely,” the report stated.
In the North-east, Bauchi recorded the most dramatic price movement of any market. The index fell from N38,850 in July 2025 to N32,350 by June 2026, a 16.7 per cent decline.
This correction followed a period of hyperinflation in mid-2025, during which Bauchi’s index peaked above N41,000.
“The decline reflects a combination of factors: a localised influx of early harvest yields, a collapse in demand as prices became unsustainable, and some improvement in supply routes,” the report stated.
In the North-west region, Kano’s Jollof Index rose from N24,520 in July 2025 to N25,820 in June 2026, a 5.3 per cent increase.
The modest rise showed a deeper reality because Kano’s index has been structurally expensive for years, driven by high protein costs and logistical challenges in moving goods into the region.
“Customers will have less money to spend on beauty products when they are struggling to buy food,” a cosmetics seller in Kano captured the sentiment.
Additionally, the South-east remains Nigeria’s cheapest region for jollof, but the gap with the rest of the country is narrowing.
At Awka, the index price of jollof rice rose from N21,700 in July 2025 to N22,050 in June 2026, a 1.6 per cent increase, while the index price at Onitsha market climbed from N22,200 to N22,550, a similar increase.
“These are the only markets below N23,000. The region’s relative affordability reflects its strong local farming culture and shorter supply chains,” the report stated.
It further clarified that the trend is upward because of the South-east’s reliance on food imports from North-central states for staples such as yams and vegetables.
The report stated that this reliance exposed the region to the same transport cost increases that impact Abuja and Kano.
The South-south region recorded the steepest increases of any zone, driven by a combination of structural shifts, policy changes, weather disruptions, and logistics costs.
Port Harcourt rose from N26,400 in July 2025 to N31,200 in June 2026, an 18.2 per cent increase.
Calabar Municipal jumped from N25,500 to N34,750, a 36.3 per cent surge, while Bayside Mbakpa climbed from N25,500 to N34,650, a 35.9 per cent increase.
The South-west region, and Lagos in particular, recorded dramatic price increases.
According to the report, the index price at Trade Fair and Balogun markets rose from N23,200 in July 2025 to N34,700 in June 2026, a 49.6 per cent increase, the sharpest of any market.
“The surge reflects Lagos’s position as Nigeria’s import gateway,” the SBM report stated.
According to the survey, when global oil prices spike, when the naira weakens, when shipping costs rise, or when heavy rains disrupt supply routes, Lagos feels it first.
The Iran war fuel shock in March 2026 pushed both markets from N20,400 in February to N25,200 in March, a 23.5 per cent monthly increase, the report stated.
The upward momentum continued through April, May, and June.
At Ibadan’s markets, Bodija and Dugbe, prices rose more moderately but still significantly.
Both increased from N25,930 in July 2025 to N28,550 in June 2026, a 10.1 per cent rise.
“The gap between Lagos and Ibadan has widened, reversing a trend of convergence seen in previous years.
“In Oyo State, researchers reported that fresh pepper, tomatoes, yam, and plantain are in extreme short supply,” the report stated.
By Adedapo Adesanya
The House of Representatives has called for a comprehensive investigation into the losses, casualties and properties abandoned by Nigerians following recent xenophobic attacks in South Africa.
This development comes after the final batch of Nigerians was evacuated from South Africa following mass protests calling for the exit of other Africans from their country, leaving many to abandon their livelihoods and businesses.
The lawmakers urged the federal government to intensify diplomatic engagements, pursue legal measures and strengthen bilateral cooperation with South Africa to ensure the safety and protection of Nigerians living in the country.
The resolution followed the adoption of a motion sponsored by the member representing Ikorodu Federal Constituency of Lagos State, Mr Babajimi Benson, during Tuesday’s plenary session presided over by Speaker Abbas Tajudeen.
The motion seeks to mandate the House Committees on Diaspora and Foreign Affairs to document the human and economic losses suffered by Nigerians during the attacks, compile an inventory of abandoned properties and recommend diplomatic and legal measures to improve the protection of Nigerians residing in South Africa.
Lawmakers argued that a thorough assessment of the impact of the attacks is necessary to support affected Nigerians and strengthen the country’s response to future incidents.
Also at plenary, the House considered a motion calling for a comprehensive audit of all seized, forfeited and recovered assets since May 29, 1999.
The motion, sponsored by Ibe Osonwa, who represents Arochukwu/Ohafia Federal Constituency of Abia State, advocates the creation of a national digital registry of recovered assets and the establishment of an ad hoc committee to enhance transparency, accountability and legislative oversight in asset management.
By Aduragbemi Omiyale
The federal government has promised to collaborate with stakeholders in the real estate sector to drive affordable and inclusive housing, aligning with broader initiatives aimed at improving access to decent homes for low-income and informal-sector workers.
The Minister of Housing and Urban Development, Mr Muttaka Rabe Darma, made this pledge at the 2026 Abuja International Housing Show (AIHS), where industry heavyweights like Dangote Cement, HBM Nigeria and others showcased their products.
Mr Darma noted that the government was ready to partner with organisations to address Nigeria’s housing challenges, remarking that the exhibition’s theme, Housing Solutions for Low-Income and Informal Workers in Africa, aligned with government efforts to expand access to affordable and inclusive housing.
He lauded Dangote Cement and others for their significant contribution to affordable housing and infrastructure development in Nigeria, describing them as key partners in efforts to bridge the nation’s housing deficit and improve access to quality building materials.
The Minister also commended Mr Aliko Dangote for his commitment to Africa’s industrialisation and economic transformation, noting that his investments continue to drive sustainable growth across the continent.
In the same vein, the chief executive of AIHS, Mr Festus Adebayo, described Dangote Cement as a dependable partner whose consistent support has contributed to the growth and success of the annual housing exhibition.
Dangote Cement’s Regional Sales Director for North Central, Mr Bankole George, who represented the National Sales Director, Dolapo Alli, said housing remains critical to dignity, social stability, economic productivity and inclusive development.
He identified major barriers to affordable housing as high land costs, expensive building materials, limited access to mortgage financing, weak rental systems and planning regulations.
He advocated innovative housing finance models tailored to low-income earners and informal workers, including micro-mortgages, rent-to-own schemes, cooperative savings programmes, employer-assisted housing and incremental housing loans.
The exhibition attracted thousands of policymakers, investors, housing professionals, exhibitors and delegates from several countries, reinforcing its status as one of Africa’s leading platforms for housing and urban development dialogue.
